Their sneakers are laced up and ITZY is ready to take on the world in the only way they know how: as no one else but themselves. This week, weāre celebrating the five-member girl group and the release of their new mini-album CHECKMATE. We caught up with ITZY to talk about their favorite footwear, their upcoming world tour, and the soundtrack of their lives. Check out our full interview below!
How does the sound and concept of CHECKMATE differ from your previous comebacks?
RYUJIN: I think there are definitely more dynamic songs in this album, so I donāt think you can feel bored at all when you listen to our album all the time.Ā
LIA: The concept of the album is brighter and more active than before, so there are more various melody lines and energetic shouting parts!Ā
Outside of music, what are you most passionate about? Are there any hobbies you use to de-stress?
YEJI: I feel responsible for everything Iām given and work hard to produce perfect results, but I still want to grow more musically, so I think Iām putting all my passion into music! I get stressed when Iām not doing well in the process, but the pleasure of getting good results makes me feel really good.
YUNA: In addition to music, I have a passion for fashion, beauty, and food! I also go for a walk to relieve stress.
So, your new single is called āSNEAKERS,ā but whatās your preferred choice of footwear? What would you choose if you could only wear one type of shoe for the rest of your life?
CHAERYEONG: All white sneakers for both! I think they really go well with all kinds of clothes! Also itās my favorite.
LIA: Basic black sneakers! They are comfy because they fit well with my feet. They are good matches for all kinds of clothes!
Whatās your favorite lyric from your discography and why?
YEJI: āI wanna be meāāthis is the part that I like. āWANNABEā is the cool image of myself that Iāve imagined. When I imagine myself becoming the person that I want to be, it motivates me to work harder and makes me grow more.
YUNA: I like āWANNABEā and āDALLA DALLAā~ Because the lyrics talk about living my own life, not others.
RYUJIN: My favorite song is one of our b-side songs called āDonāt Give A Whatā and my favorite part from this song is the way that we shouted ādonāt give a what!ā
Congrats on your upcoming tour! What are you most looking forward to and can we expect any special stages?
CHAERYEONG: Thank you! First of all, Iām so happy and excited to meet MIDZY face-to-face. As for the special stage, weāre working hard on it! I think there will be a chance to see each memberās charms in detail.
LIA: Iām very excited because it is the first concert that weāve been waiting for and we are preparing it while thinking of the overseas fans that we could not go and see for a long time.Ā
Pick 3 non-ITZY songs to make up the soundtrack of your life so far.
CHAERYEONG: āInto the New Worldā by Girlsā Generation. I fell in love with K-pop with this song. They made my childhood happy. BOL4ā²s āTo My Youth.ā When I had a hard time, the song comforted me a lot.Ā Ā
YUNA: YBās āA Flying Butterfly,ā BLACKPINKās āPretty Savage,ā and IUās āThe Red Shoes.ā
Lightning round! Describe each of the following in one word: Who you are, what you value the most, and what youād be if you were a plant or animal.
CHAERYEONG: My name is Chaeryeong Lee. I cherish my people the most! If I were a flower, I wish I were a rose! Because Itās pretty but it can protect myself by having thorns! If it were an animal, I think it would be a cat! This is because I like to be alone but also like to be with people, and I donāt like to go outside.
YEJI: I am HWANG YEJI. I am a person that cherishes and loves everything I love. If Iām not a human, I would be a rose!
YUNA: This is YUNA. I cherish my beloved family and our members! If I were a plant, I would be a tulip. And if I were an animal, I would be a rabbit.
RYUJIN: If I were a plant, I would be a daisy and if I were an animal, I think I would love to be a cat. Because they are what I like.
LIA: I am just an ordinary person that cherishes the relationship between person and person. If I were a plant, I would be a sunflower. If I were an animal, I think I would be a sloth.
Want more of ITZY? Check out their new mini-album CHECKMATE and the music video for āSNEAKERSā here.
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